Sep 20, 2013

Fitness Friday: Finding Time and Motivation

“I don’t think I’ll walk today. I have too much to do, and it’s too late. I’ll just start tomorrow.”

Sound familiar to anyone? 

This was me last March, after walking one morning and then finding excuses for the next 4 days in a row. Now at day 5, the excuses kept coming.  

But God…

After the big relief of deciding not to walk, I swiped my iPhone to check my emails.  As I walked across the kitchen, I looked down to select my email icon.

What’s this – my Bible app is open?

Wait, I haven’t been in there for days (and that’s another post!).  How did this get open?  OK, so since I’m here, what is today’s verse?

“He replied, “My mother and brothers are the ones who hear and do God’s Word. Obedience is thicker than blood.”  (Luke 8:21, MSG, emphasis mine)

I froze, stunned. 

It seemed the Lord had interrupted my excuses.

I knew immediately that
  • ·        the Lord was speaking to me,
  • ·        it wasn’t just my idea to walk every morning, and
  • ·        walking every morning was not optional.

Let me back up a bit to a short time before the Lord’s interruption.  It all started with “the struggle”.  You know, the struggle finding time and motivation to exercise. I had several ideas, one of which kept coming back to me: “walk around the block 3 times every morning.”  Sounded great, and each day I planned to start tomorrow…or Monday, depending on what day it was. I knew I needed to exercise for my health, but I just had so many other things to do.

As always, the Lord knew exactly what I needed: a direct and irrefutable command from Him.  Talk about motivation!  I actually became afraid not to walk – what if my life depended on it?  What if this was a warning that my health was worse than I thought?  I knew that if He spoke to me that directly, I needed to obey without question.

So since then I walk faithfully every day. Not “religiously” – I’ve missed days here and there when I travel, or when I’m sick, or when I need to get into work extra early. But I have been faithful to take His command seriously, knowing that if He told me to do it, I need to obey.  I even have a lightweight rain jacket; yes, I walk in the rain! 

No more excuses, no more delays. Because when obedience to the Lord is my motivation, I’ll make the time.

TODAY’S CHALLENGE: What exercise do you know you should be doing where you are making more excuses than progress?  Have you asked the Lord for His views?  Or has He already told you? His mercies are new every morning, so start today!

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